Knockdown toboggan



March 8, 1949. L. c. BERG KNOCKDOWN TOBOGGAN Filed Aug. 27, 1945 INVENTOR. LA weaves C. 5526 Patented Mar. 8, 1949 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE KNOCKDOWN TOBOGGAN Lawrence C. Berg, San Leandro, Calif.

Application August 27, 1945 Serial No. 612,759

2 Claims.

This invention relates to sliding devices in the nature of a toboggan.

It is an object of the invention to provide a toboggan which may be disassembled into a com paratively compact unit.

Another object of the invention is to provide a toboggan especially adapted to the emergency transportation of physically incapacitated persons.

A further object of the invention is to provide, in a toboggan, 'a simple and effective brake which functions, to a desired degree, to offset gravital acceleration of the tobog'gan when the latter is descending grades. v M

Still another object of the invention is to provide a toboggan possessed of a certain degree of longitudinal pliability which enables it to follow and conform with normal undulations in the contour of the surface to be traversed.

The invention possesses other objects and feal tures of advantage which, together with the foregoing, will be specifically set forth in the detailed description of the invention hereunto annexed. It is to be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific form thereof herein shown and described as various other embodiments thereof may be employed within the scope of the appended claims.

Referring to the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the tobog'gan of my invention.

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the toboggan.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of the toboggan taken in the plane indicated by the line 3-'3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a longitudinal vertical sectional view of the toboggan taken in the plane indicated by the line 44 of Figure 1.

It frequently happens, during cross-country ski excursions that a member of the party will become incapacitated due to illness or physical injury and in most instances it is imperative that the ailing party be returned immediately to the nearest habitat where relief or medical assistance can be obtained. The transportation of a person, particularly one who is sufiering from a bone break or serious dislocation, places a serious burden'on the unaffected members of the party since they must, first, carry the patient in such a way that the latters injuries will not become aggravated and, secondly, hasten their return journey under the impediment created by the injured party in order that the group may gain their objective before nightfall and not suffer the experience of becoming lost in the darkness in unfamiliar terrain.

I have provided a special pack 't'obogga'n which is capable of being knocked down into a compact package no larger in size nor heavier than the average knapsack and which may be conveniently carried by a member of a party to anticipate Jllbb such emergencies as that described above or to serve as a carrier for woodland souvenirs or other articles that may be collected during a trip. Figure 1 best illustrates the complete structure of the toboggan which, it will be seen, is composed of a headboard section 6, a plurality of generally similar intermediate sections 1 and an end section 8 all of which are connected together to form a unitary structure. The headboard section 8 comprises a fiat weatherproof plywood bottom portion 9, whose lower surface I 1 forms part of the tread surface of the toboggan, rising in a coextensive upwardly curved portion l2 forming the bow of the toboggan. Side members l3, contoured to conform with the cross-sectional shape of the portions 9 and 12, are secured to the latter to preserve the form and relationship of the portions and to provide in the headboard a recess whose function will be presently explained.

Each intermediate section I, and the end section 8, comprise substantially rectangular pieces I4 and i6 of weatherproof plywood, each having attached thereto, along its opposed side edges, rails I! to lend longitudinal rigidity to the sections.

Means is provided for securing the respective sections together to provide a unitary toboggan structure. The rearward edge of the headboard and intermediate sections 6 and 'l are each pro- 0 to provide tight drive fits for tapered keeper pins 22 each of which is attached to an adjacent portion of the section by means of a short length of chain 23 or other suitable cord-like material. Although the latches just described will securely bind the respective sections of the toboggan together, a certain amount of play will exist in the joints or will be created therein during use of the device. This is desirable in that it affords a certain degree of longitudinal flexibility in the tobo'ggan which enables the latter to follow normal gentle undulations in the terrain over which it may be drawn.

Another desirable feature of the toboggan of my invention resides in the particular design wherein, as will be seen in Figure 2, the intermediate and end sections 1 and 8 are uniformly and progressively convergently tapered toward the rear of the toboggan. The normal posture assumed in riding a toboggan is to lay prone and face down on the device with the legs extend- 3 ing toward the rear. When steerage is desired, as the toboggan is under way, the rider spreads his legs so that his feet clear the sides of the toboggan and, by digging one or the other of his feet into the snow the toboggan may be made to swerge from side to side as desired. The standard toboggan has parallel sides and for the average person to repeatedly and unduly spread his legs so that his feet will clear the sides causes him considerable discomfort. By providing the improved toboggan of my invention with a rearwardly converging form, the leg spread for steerage is considerably lessened which contributes toward greater comfort.

Provision is made in the toboggan sectionsso that a bulky load, or the numerous wrapsnecessary to keep an injured or ill person warm, may be securely lashed thereto. Each of the rails I1 is provided with one or more depressions 24 in which hooks 26, secured to the sides of the rails by screws 21 or other suitable means, are disposed. The construction is such that the top of each rail is unobstructed by any projections which might prove bothersome to a person moving his hands over the rails. The hooks 26 provide a plurality of anchors along the respective sides of the toboggan to which the ends or bights of lashing cords overlying the load may be secured.

The toboggan so far described may be employed for coasting although speeds comparable. to that obtained in a conventional toboggan may not be attained due to the irregularities or steps in the tread surface produced by the overlapped sections. The greatest use for the device however is formed in providing emergency transportation wherein it is towed by two lines drawn by one or more persons preceding the toboggan. In many instances it is necessary to descend grades, some of which may be considerably inclined, and to re: tard the gravital action on the toboggan which would tend to cause the latter to overtake and pass the towing party I provide the toboggan with a speed arresting device which prevents it running away even on steep slopes. Provision is also made whereby the arrester or brake may be attached or detached as desired. Mounted on the outer curved surface of the bow portion I2 is a pair of transversely spaced studs 28 which may conveniently be eye-bolts to which the tow-lines may also be attached. The studs 28 are adapted to, receive grommets provided at the end of a web 29 of coarse canvas, or other similar material, which extends rearwardly along the bottom or treadsurface of the toboggan and terminates in one or more straps 3| which are passed over the rear edge of the endsection l6 and are secured in buckles 32 mounted on the upper surface of the latter section. The coarseness of weaveof I the web 29 is a factor which governs the arresting power of the brake since snow will pack into the surface irregularities of the web and thereby provide a tread which introduces the requisite frictional resistance to sliding adequate to meet all normal needs. It will be noted that the web 29 converges rearwardly of the toboggan. This is done to provide the greatest retarding action atthe forward end of the toboggan,,which is desirable, the action then diminishing in proportion tg the width of the web, toward the rear. 7

1 Avery desirable andimportant feature, of my invention resides in its capability of being knocked down into a very compact bundle which is not considerably bulkier than an average knapsack and which may be carried just; as comfortably. Each of the intermediate sections l4 and the end section l6 are designed so that their respective longitudinal dimensions do not exceed the diagonal distance between the rear edge of the headboardbottom portion 9 and the upper edge of the bow portion [2. The widths of the sections of course, as will be seen from the drawing, are less than the spacing between the inner surfaces of the side members l3. This permits the sections I4 and IE to be disassembled, stacked one on the other and nested in the recess of the headboard whereinthey may be securely held by wrapping the web 29 around the nested parts.

It is possible that variations in design and structure may become apparentto those skilled in the art after digesting the above detailed description of my invention. However many de-,

partures from the disclosed form may be made without digressing from the spirit of the invention, therefore, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A toboggan comprising a headboard section having a fiat tread element and members rising from margins of said tread element to provide a recess in the headboarda plurality of separate body sections arranged in linear alignment adjacent said headboard section and latch elements for securingthesections together in a unitary assembly, and said body sections being sized and formed to fit,coll ectively, into said headboard recess. H

2. A toboggan comprising a headboard section, an end section, and a plurality of intermediate sections interposed between theheadboard and end sections, said headboard section and each intermediate section having adjacent its rearward edge a pair of upwardly rising looped latch devices, said end section and each intermediate section having provided therein adjacent its forward edge apertures; to'register with and toreceive the looped latch'devices of :an adjacent section, and means carried by therespective end and intermediate sections and adapted for insertion through said latch devices when the latter are in said recesses for securing the headboard, end and intermediate sections together inaunitary assembly.

LAWRENCE C. BERG.

- REFERENCES-CITED v The following references ar'tr record in the file of this patent: I

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 48,178 Hussey'.. June 13, 1865 961,856 Heckman June 21, 1910 1,583,693 Krafit .Z May 4, 1926 2,149,585 Dawson Mar. 7, 1939 2,162,888 Held et' al.' June 20, 1939 2,187,437 Wanat Jan. 16, 1940 2,367,157 Tufts Jan. 9, 1945 2,367,528 Rollins Jan. 16, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Countryjj 'j Date 69,575 Switzerland July 1;j19 l5 -1s2,s31

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